


Soar the Endless Skies

by shirosquared



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-War, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-20 18:31:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14899746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shirosquared/pseuds/shirosquared
Summary: After the war is over, Shiro has a lot to think about back on Earth. Luckily, Hunk is there to help him remember what's important.





	Soar the Endless Skies

**Author's Note:**

> This was my fic for the Blessed & Possessed zine, which you can check out [here](https://bapshirozine.tumblr.com/post/174547337339/blessed-and-possessed-zine)! Unfortunately, the fic is put underneath my old URL, but that's fine.

Earth had beautiful constellations.

It was easy to forget that after seeing hundreds of planets across the universe, but after such a long war the stars seemed to welcome him home. The wind blew through his hair lightly, the night cool as the moon illuminated the water in front of him. The air carried a light scent of ocean spray, and grains of sand shifted beneath his feet.

Shiro tipped his head back and closed his eyes, taking in his surroundings. Despite traveling across the universe, none of the planets quite matched the sounds or environments of home. After so long, he was just happy to be home. There were no reporters, no interviews, no lions, no Voltron, no Galra to tear this moment away from him. He would’ve invited the other paladins outside with him, but they looked plenty involved in some board game they’d pulled out, and he was perfectly content with only the sounds of the waves around him.

It had been a long two weeks, filled with family visits and interviews and the Garrison. On their own, Shiro didn’t dislike any of those things—all of their families had been nothing short of loving, and he’d gotten used to interviews from before the Kerberos mission—but all of them had become a bit overwhelming, and if he was being honest, he didn’t really like the Garrison at all anymore. He used to dream of being the best and the brightest, traveling to worlds Earth couldn’t imagine and putting his name down in the history books. That had been the only way to create his legacy.

The Kerberos mission had been his chance. He’d jumped at the opportunity, working late nights at the sims and studying until words swam before his eyes to make sure he got the position. He’d been so happy the day of the announcement, the day he officially stepped into the public eye. Maybe it hadn’t been quite what he’d imagined, but several years later led him to this beach.

He’d been lost after Kerberos, a ghost of a man struggling to deal with what happened to him. He’d repressed the memories of his imprisonment, and for a while he wondered if he’d ever be able to live a life without looking over his shoulder or waking up from a nightmare with a shout, swinging his arm at the air in front of him.

But he’d taken the time to look past it, encouraged by Hunk and his team, and it made things more bearable. It didn’t fix anything—he’d be carrying that burden for the rest of his life—but it made it easier to handle. They’d all been there for him in ways he hadn’t even known, but that was just how they all supported each other. They all held each other up, and when one fell the others were there to pick them back up. There was no judgment, only support and love.

Things got better, after that. The day they’d helped the last rebellion overthrow the Galra was a momentous one indeed, one that would be talked about for years (or deca-phoebs, if you will) to come. The Voltron Coalition thrived greater than ever, the intergalactic alliance creating trade routes to unite the known universe. At the head of it was Allura, Coran, and Ryou, Shiro’s newfound clone who’d found a new purpose in the coalition. They promised to visit whenever they could, and send lots of photos and video calls.

The Blade of Marmora began officially working with the coalition to ensure peace and prevent a new empire from rising, gaining respect from other planets and allies. Even Earth was now a part of the coalition, studying the technology the coalition brought them with Voltron’s return. Everything should’ve been perfect.

Except, for some reason, it wasn’t. Nothing was ever perfect, and Shiro wasn’t sure when he became such a pessimist, but he expected something to upset the balance they’d created. In the meantime, though, he could enjoy what he had. He’d learned to live in the present rather than solely focusing on his future, and he’d gained a new family from a mission he looked back on as one of his worst moments.

It had become one of his best, no longer defined by the Champion but rather his family. They’d had difficulties in the beginning, thrown into an unfamiliar situation with the weight of the universe on their shoulders, but together they’d worked and put in their all to support each other. The first time they’d formed Voltron, Shiro couldn’t stop the rush of exhilaration that traveled through the bond, the high that came from surviving against the odds and finally having a purpose after the Galra tried to break him down. They’d only become closer after that, supporting each other like a true family.

The water from the ocean lapped around his ankles, the tide climbing higher on the beach, but he’d taken his boots off a long time ago. The wind picked up, blowing cool ocean spray in his face from the calm waters. He opened his eyes finally, watching the ripples in the water distort the moon’s reflection. The moon was much more beautiful from far away, Shiro found. Most things were; once he was close enough, it never looked quite as impressive as seeing the full picture. He still remembered staying up late to see the beautiful colors outside the Castle windows, the dust gathering into a nebula. The view was beautiful, but it still didn’t compare to the one he saw in the present.

It was perfect; the only thing that could make it better would be his families standing beside him on the beach, enjoying the view and cool chill of the night. He’d missed it so much, and having them standing with him would make it so much better.

The grass shifted behind him, crunching under someone’s feet. Shiro turned his back to the water, his head full of a calm serenity. He smiled at Hunk as he approached, sitting down on the sand facing the water. Hunk sat next to him a moment later, watching the water shift.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Hunk asked softly.

“Yeah,” Shiro agreed, his eyes glued to the moon. “It is. Doesn’t really match up to seeing it all up close, not like I thought it would.”

Hunk chuckled. "Isn't that how it usually works out? Almost everything looks nicer when you can't see all of the details about it. But there's those cases where you just... get to know someone, you know? And get to see the details that others might not have the privilege of seeing."

"I feel that way with all of you." Shiro laid back, staring up at the constellations in the sky. "You're all so different, I never know what to do. But I'm glad I can at least be honest with you, you know?"

Hunk smiled. "I'm glad you feel that way, too. It's hard, sometimes, when you try so hard to shut us all out. None of us like seeing you like that, you know? Cause you're only hurting yourself, and you don't deserve that."

Shiro chuckled. "Yeah, you all gave me your opinions on that. It helped a lot... eventually. You're all so stubborn, sometimes."

"So are you." Hunk leaned back as well, draping an arm over Shiro's waist. "It's admirable, sometimes, but you used it for your own destruction."

"It was just a habit, I guess," Shiro admitted. "I didn't really know where to start, and I thought you all would hate me if you ever found out. It wasn't rational, I know that, but I wasn't really capable of being rational at that point."

"You could've talked to us, but that's not your fault, and it's in the past. If I was in your situation, I would've done the same thing." Hunk closed his eyes. "Are you sure you wanna talk right now? You look like I interrupted something. If you want, I'll leave."

"No, it's okay." Shiro closed his eyes as well, breathing slowly and deeply. "I thought I wanted to be alone, and for a while it was nice. But I started thinking it would be better if you guys were here, so... feel free to make yourself comfortable. The breeze is nice."

Hunk smiled, gently pulling Shiro close to him and running a hand through his hair. Shiro automatically leaned into the contact, relaxing as Hunk continued the movements. Shiro really had a great team and family, and a great boyfriend.

His life may not have turned out exactly like he'd wanted it to, but the universe was at peace and he had an amazing family to back him up. Maybe he'd changed along the way, gone through plenty of rough patches and suffered significant losses, but he wouldn't change any of it if it meant he'd still be lying here with his boyfriend, their family waiting for their return.

Before Shiro knew it, he'd fallen asleep in Hunk's arms.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr over at [shirosquared](https://shirosquared.tumblr.com), where occasionally I write things.


End file.
